State Government Gets Federal Funding To Investigate Faster Rail

Between Sydney and Newcastle.

The state government will receive federal funding, to draw up a business case on how to shave travel time off the train trip between Newcastle and Sydney.

Robertson MP Lucy Wicks has joined with local reps at Gosford station this morning, to announce the funding under the Turnbull government's $20 million Faster Rail Initiative.

They now have 18 months to lodge their case.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Coast Scot MacDonald says it'll be the first time potential solutions to reduce travel times along the rail corridor will be fully costed, and consider the entire stretch between NSW's two biggest cities.

While Ms Wicks says the overall aim is to cut the trip between the two cities by one hour, through upgrading the existing rail line.

“If this project is successful beyond the business case stage, travel times could be reduced from approximately three hours to just two and potentially open up housing supply and new job opportunities,” Mrs Wicks said.

“We have around 30,000 hard-working commuters on the Central Coast, leaving early in the morning and returning home late at night to their families. We launched the Faster Rail Prospectus at Gosford Station last year, and I look forward to meeting with commuters in coming weeks to discuss this next step forward in helping to increase capacity and improve travel times.

“The business case will investigate works including reducing track curvature, deviations and realignments, removal of level crossings, junction rearrangement and better segregation of passenger and freight services.”